SeaClan
by ShellfurOfSeaClan
Summary: A new Clan. A story of hope and tragedy, love and hate, despair and joy. A new beginning. A new territory. When adventurous cats split from SkyClan to form a new Clan, they follow the whispering waves in their dreams. But only StarClan knows where their journey will take them... How much will they have to sacrifice to create new lives, and a new Clan?
1. Chapter 1: Cloudstar

**SeaClan**

 **Chapter 1**

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here for a Clan meeting!" Cloudstar yowled.

There was no use naming the tree the SkyClan leader perched on, because by dawn the Clan would have moved on. Moons had passed since they fled the forest and SkyClan had not yet found a home.

Eyes glinted out of the darkness as the ragged, scrawny cats crept out of the shadows around their leader. Their eyes showed desperation, but one black tom sat with his chin lifted high.

"Yes, Floodpelt?" Cloudstar meowed politely. "What would you like to say?"

A few warriors cast the tom admiring glances, while others narrowed their eyes. Floodpelt's thick, luxurious black pelt was tinged blue even under the pale light of Silverpelt, his whiskers were so long they permanently drooped, and his plumy tail swept through the air as he stood.

He had the experience and maturity of a senior warrior already, Cloudstar mused. All his Clan had been forced to grow up too fast when the Twolegs invaded and destroyed everything they'd once called home.

"I have been having dreams, Cloudstar," Floodpelt meowed slowly. "Every time I close my eyes, my head is filled with a soft crashing sound. Similar to the sound of RiverClan's territory when there are flash floods, but... different."

"Do not mention RiverClan - or any of the four forest Clans," Buzzardtail the deputy hissed from beside Cloudstar. "They abandoned us!"

Floodpelt dipped his head. His eyes were like blue pools when he announced, "I wish to leave SkyClan, find the place in my dreams, and start a new Clan."

Yowls rose into the air.

"No! We can't!" Mousefang, one of Cloudstar's loyal warriors, spat.

"Yes! I have been having these dreams, too. I want to come with you, Floodpelt," a grey tabby meowed.

"How dare you suggest such a thing?" Buzzardtail growled while Cloudstar stared in shock. "We are SkyClan! That is who we are. If we lose that, then we are nothing."

"SkyClan is over," Floodpelt mewed, "and nothing but darkness and destruction will await us if we travel along this path. I believe forging a new Clan is the answer. I want to find the whispering waves in my dream, and I want to forge myself a new life."

"Traitor!" someone yowled.

"No, he is not a traitor," the medicine cat apprentice mewed, stepping away from the security of her mentor, Fawnstep.

"What are you doing, Shellfur?" Fawnstep's eyes flew wide.

The dappled grey she-cat had always been brash and bold, especially for a medicine cat. "I, too, have had these dreams. And I know that almost half of SkyClan has had them. I believe we have to leave - those of us with the dreams, I mean. StarClan is nudging us away from the rest of you for a reason, I think. We must do this."

"Cloudstar, what do you think? We can't let them!" Nightfur protested.

Cloudstar met Floodpelt's steady gaze and suddenly realised just how confident - and perhaps a little arrogant - the warrior was. Most would not dare to go against his leader. "I believe that if they do not want to stay, we should not force them," he meowed heavily.

Caterwauls of protest broke the silence that followed.

"We are a broken Clan with no home!" Cloudstar meowed loudly. "What is the point of forcing them to stay? We have no camp, no borders to protect. Maybe this is for the best."

Floodpelt dipped his head. "Thank you, Cloudstar." In that moment, as a shaft of starlight made his glossy black fur glow, he looked like the leader Cloudstar had once been. Glorious. Floodpelt lifted his tail. "New Clan warriors, to me!"

The SkyClan cats gaped as warriors bounded to Floodpelt's side. Shellfur was among them.

Buzzardtail spat.

"Buzzardtail, let them go," Cloudstar murmured.

"Let's go," Floodpelt mewed to the cats around him. "Let's find out what StarClan has in store for us."

The Clan had split. A sixth Clan was about to emerge.

* * *

 **A/N: I'm so excited about this new story! I want it to have multiple POV's, and each chapter will also include the name of a cat. Next up is Floodpelt!**

 **Fun fact: I came up with the idea for SeaClan while on holiday years ago, and their territory is going to be based off a real beach! (I'm not sure what the beach was called though, sadly.) Don't worry, some of the boring stuff will be skipped, so next chapter you'll get to see the beginning of SeaClan...!**

 **Please review if you like!**


	2. Chapter 2: Floodstar

**Chapter 2**

Floodstar gazed down at the crashing waves below, and his paws tingled with excitement. The cats had been travelling for many days, and just as they had been about to give up and turn back, Floodstar's warrior ancestors had appeared to him in a dream and given him nine lives.

"We've done it," he meowed. "SeaClan! We shall be called SeaClan."

"SeaClan! SeaClan!" the new Clan yowled joyfully.

They gazed down at their new home.

They stood on the edge of a cliff, rolling hills behind them, a forest to their left. Below, the steep drop plummeted and ended in a sandy beach that stretched towards the waves that had haunted and spurred them on for so long.

The sea was more magnificent than they'd imagined. It had no end. It disappeared off the edge of the world, beautiful when the sun hit it: a myraid of blues and greens and greys.

Floodstar turned to face the new SeaClan, his paws working in the grass excitedly. "Shellfur, you shall be a full medicine cat, of course - and as for my deputy -"

"You're getting a little ahead of yourself, Floodpaw," came the slow, deep, reassuring mew of Stonefoot. The dark grey senior warrior had been Floodstar's mentor, and still often called him Floodpaw. Stonefoot's eyes sparked in amusement, looking much like the sea in front of them. "Let's find a camp first."

"How?" a cat wailed. "Where could we possibly make a camp here?"

Floodstar spotted the speaker: Minnowpaw, a very young tortoiseshell-and-white apprentice. He knew she was only complaining because she was tired, but he replied, "We shall journey down to the beach and walk in front of the waves first, Minnowpaw. Let's enjoy listening to them and knowing we can finally stop travelling. Then we shall find a camp."

"And if there isn't one?" growled Stormheart. The magnificent grey tabby tom had become someone Floodstar depended on almost every day, despite his tendency to claw first and ask questions later. He knew Stormheart would become his deputy - he just hadn't told anyone yet.

"There will be, Stormheart," the leader meowed. "StarClan will not let us down. Right, Shellfur?"

Shellfur nodded, her words muffled through the bundle of travelling herbs she'd managed to scrape together on their way here. "Yes. I am sure of it."

The cats wandered left, towards the forest. They could see a pastel-coloured Twolegplace in the distance, beyond the trees, but didn't dare go near it. Hopefully, Floodstar thought, the little forest would deter any Twolegs from coming to the beach. Floodstar hoped he could make some of the trees and hills part of their territory, too, but he didn't want Twolegs interfering.

As they padded along a strip of grass between the treeline and the sheer cliff, the cliffs grew smaller until they found a winding trail between two grassy hills.

"The hills are made of sand!" Shorepaw squeaked. His pale ginger pelt made him almost invisible as he darted ahead along the trail - and spiked his nose on some sharp grass. "Ow!"

"It's only grass, mouse-brain," Minnowpaw meowed affectionately.

"It's sharper than any grass I've ever seen!"

"Let me see," Floodstar mewed. As the rest of the Clan filed onto the path, Floodstar realised he was right. This grass was sharp, prickly and uncomfortable.

"I think these are called sand dunes." Shellfur had darted to his side. "At least the grass will hopefully deter some predators."

"A warrior's observation," Floodstar meowed, giving her a sideways glance.

The pretty medicine cat bristled. Her pelt was silver with dappled grey spots and markings, she had a white chest and belly, and her light blue eyes were the colour of ice. "You know I wanted to be a warrior, Floodstar. But Fawnstep had recieved a sign from StarClan that I could not follow that path. I used to think I'd never be part of an adventure, that I'd be cooped up with herbs forever, but... This is an adventure. Better than I ever imagined." Her eyes sparkled.

"Yes, and if you hadn't followed StarClan's wishes, SeaClan would not have had a medicine cat," Floodstar rumbled in approval.

She blinked. "I hadn't thought of that."

"You will be a great medicine cat, Shellfur."

"And you will be a great first leader of SeaClan," she meowed.

The dunes fell away and they padded onto flat, smooth sand. The Clan murmured in amazement at the way the gritty substance shifted and flowed beneath their pads as they walked.

Minnowpaw and Shorepaw immediately raced towards the damp part of the beach.

"Ooh, the sand here feels so smooth and cool!" Minnowpaw's green eyes slitted in content. "It's so soothing -"

Just then, a wave rushed in and slapped both cats, drenching them in spray. They yowled and raced back to the dry area while the tired warriors behind Floodstar purred in weary amusement.

"Look at how the sand sticks to their wet fur, Floodstar," Stormheart muttered. "We'll never be able to groom it properly. We can't live like this."

"Don't be so quick to believe that, Stormheart," came an amused female murmur. Kestrelflight, Minnowpaw's mentor, padded towards her apprentice and gave her fur a brisk lick. Her nose scrunched. "Blegh! I've got sand on my tongue. And the water is so salty."

Stormheart's tail lashed. "See? You should listen to me more often, Kestrelflight."

Kestrelflight narrowed her beautiful amber eyes at the other warrior. She had been Stormheart's apprentice, and from the first day she had always argued against him. The dark brown she-cat had a startlingly white belly, and she licked the white fur to try to dislodge the sand from her tongue.

"The water is salty?" Frostclaw, a pure white she-cat, meowed in dismay. "Does that mean we can't drink it?"

Floodstar's pelt prickled with worry. He hoped they'd be able to find fresh water nearby, otherwise StarClan had sent them on a fool's journey. "Come," he meowed, lifting his tail. "Let's head up the beach this way."

The cliffs rose high above them as they walked back the way they'd been - only this time they were below, not on the clifftops.

The four SeaClan apprentices soon made a game of chasing each other onto the wet part of the sand - then trying to run away as fast as they could before the waves caught them. Needless to say, they got wet more often than they escaped.

Shellfur's tail curled up in amusement. "That's good warrior training," she commented. "They'll soon learn to anticipate the waves, and their reflexes will become faster."

"That's a very good idea, Shellfur." Floodstar wished he'd thought of it first.

They rounded a spur of rock and gasped.

A huge, tall cave entrance gaped in cliffs in front of them, stretching so far back that they couldn't see inside. Like the maw of a gigantic badger.

"This could be a camp!" Floodstar meowed in excitement. "Come on, let's explore it!"

They padded into the cavernous area and warriors began to bound ahead, heeding his order - but Floodstar realised they were stumbling with tiredness.

"No, wait, don't explore," he mewed sheepishly.

They paused and looked back at him, confused.

"Let's rest in here for a while instead." His pelt burned in embarrassment. He still wasn't used to being a leader.

The sand beneath their paws was constantly damp and cool, but they found a huge flat-topped rock, heaved themselves up, and curled up together in a large cluster. Floodstar sat on the edge and gazed at them. There were twenty-one cats: himself, Shellfur, eleven warriors, four apprentices, two queens and two elders. Floodstar respected and admired every cat, even the ones who sometimes rubbed his fur the wrong way.

Floodstar couldn't sleep, so he kept watch. He could almost feel the waves surging against his pelt.

 _StarClan, can you still see us? We are so far away from the old forest now. Are we in the right place?_

The ebb and flow of the sea was his only answer.

* * *

 **A/N: Yay, a Floodpelt/star POV! Next up is Kestrelflight, Minnowpaw's mentor.**

 **Please review if you like this story so far!**


	3. Chapter 3: Kestrelflight

**Chapter 3**

 _Teeth snapped at her heels as she ran for her life - twigs raked her pelt - the ground fell away beneath her paws and she was falling, air blasting her as the ground loomed... Death flashed before her eyes -_

Kestrelflight gasped as she woke up to find herself falling for real: falling off the rock and onto damp sand. Minnowpaw had stretched out in sleep, kicking her in the back.

Kestrelflight shook herself with a soft hiss. Of course her apprentice was still making her life harder, even in sleep.

A soft _mrrow_ of laughter made her jump, and she realised Floodstar was sat awake, his tail wrapped around his legs.

"Oh - sorry, Floodstar!" she mewed, dipping her head. "I didn't see you there."

His eyes looked deeper than the sea outside. "No need to look so alarmed, Kestrelflight. I'm not used to being treated like a leader, actually." He looked almost apologetic.

"We've been treating you as our leader ever since we left SkyClan," she meowed softly as the sea of sleeping cats between them mumbled and shifted. "Even before your nine lives."

"Thank you." A purr rumbled in his throat. "As you're awake, why don't you explore the cave?"

"Me?"

"Try not to be too loud, though. Our Clanmates deserve their sleep."

"Of course!" Elated, Kestrelflight bounded across the sand and deeper into the cave. Her fur prickled with excitement at the thought of being the first cat to see what would possibly be SeaClan's camp.

The cave was dark, so she let her eyes adjust to the light while she padded along. A vaulting, craggy ceiling rose high above her head and the walls were full of little ledges and cracks. The cave was long, almost like a tunnel, and to Kestrelflight's delight it rounded a corner and she found herself padding up a rise. Here the sand was dry, so she guessed the waves never reached here.

The huge back wall of the cave was a mess of cracks, ledges and hollows that were cloaked in shadow. _An adventure!_ Kestrelflight's paws tingled.

Like every SkyClan-born cat, she had long, muscular legs and tough pads. So she thought nothing of clambering across the jumble of broken rocks, weaving her way among the stalegmites and stalegtites, and launching herself through the air to latch onto a ledge.

SkyClan cats had definitely been given the best features, Kestrelflight thought. Their superior legs and paws made climbing and jumping so easy, she wondered how on earth the other Clans managed.

"Get down from there, mouse-brain!" Stormheart's sharp meow cut through the silence.

His voice distracted her as she was preparing to jump to another ledge. Her paws slipped and she yowled in terror as she fell - this was just like her dream -

 _Whumpf!_ She'd collided with a warm body and they were both sent tumbling.

The cave exploded into laughter and Kestrelflight realised, with a red-hot jolt of embarrassment, that the entire Clan had woken up and had witnessed her falling.

"Get - off - me," Stormheart hissed. He was squashed beneath her but Kestrelflight felt too stunned to move. Her heart pounded at the way her pelt grew hot where it made contact with him.

"Ha! Stormheart and Kestrelflight! You two make a good couple!"

Kestrelflight closed her eyes and wished the sand would swallow her up. That last voice had been Minnowpaw's.

Stormheart pushed her off him and they both jumped to their paws. Kestreflight shied back as her former mentor brought his face closer, so they were nose-to-nose.

"Control your apprentice," he growled.

Kestrelflight's tail lashed. "Minnowpaw! Come here and be quiet!"

But Stormheart wasn't done rebuking her. "You don't see Shorepaw acting like that, do you? I _told_ Cloudstar you were too young for an apprentice. I knew this would happen."

Kestrelflight glared at him. "Stop treating me like I'm still your failure of an apprentice! I passed my warrior assessment with flying colours - I'm just as capable as you. But you still can't see that."

Stormheart, she knew, would never forget how she'd spent the first couple of moons as an apprentice: doing everything wrong. Unlike Herontail and Fishleap, Kestrelflight had not easily picked up hunting. Or tracking. Or climbing. Or fighting.

She'd worked her tail off to pass her warrior's assessment so she could achieve her name at the same time as her denmates, and it had been the best day of her life. But Stormheart still didn't believe in her.

Floodstar purred as he padded past the Clan, bringing everyone further into the cave. "Calm down, everyone. I told Kestrelflight to explore the cave as she woke up before the rest of you."

"See?" she hissed in the grey tabby's ear. "Now you're the mouse-brain. I was following orders."

His tail swiped over her ears and she ducked away furiously.

"Do you think this could be a camp?" Wavestrike, a grey queen, asked in her gentle, purring meow.

"Let's see," Floodstar replied softly, and tilted his head back.

The Clan followed his gaze, now all assembled in the dry part of the cave. They realised there was a crack in the roof, allowing a large patch of sunlight to filter in. The floor changed from dry sand to a jumble of flat rocks worn smooth over the seasons.

Floodstar leaped onto a large, sloping rock jutting out from the centre of this space. It looked like a fin. "This could be our Highrock."

A couple of warriors drifted onto the rocks.

"There are caves!"

"Shellfur?" Kestrelstrike spotted her friend drifting towards the deepest section of the cave.

The medicine cat let out an echoing meow. "Floodstar, there's water!"

The entire Clan bounded after her. Another crack in the roof, wider but not as large as the main one, let in a stream of water. The small waterfall ended in a rock pool, which overflowed in a stream that wound its way along the edge of the cave - Kestrelflight guessed it flowed towards the sea.

Floodstar dipped his head to the water and lapped up a gulp. "It's freshwater." His eyes glowed. "We can live here safely."

"But it's so cold and damp," Marshwing said, his ears twitching uneasily, "and don't we need to find a place where you and Shellfur can talk to StarClan? I haven't noticed any Highstones or Mothermouth nearby."

"All in good time, Marshwing," Floodstar replied, and Kestrelflight admired his reassuring tone. "It will seem cold and damp until we collect moss and feathers to make nests and dens."

"We can make this camp a home," Kestrelflight meowed, suddenly feeling full of energy. "Let's not give up before we start trying."

"Well said." Floodstar nodded at her, and her fur warmed with his approval. "Now we've all rested... let's begin."

In that moment, SeaClan seemed more real than ever before.

* * *

 **A/N: Hmm... StormxKestrel, anyone? What do you think? :P**

 **I've posted the SeaClan Allegiances on my profile, and I intend on updating it whenever there is a change in this story!**

 **Reviews? Please? Maybe? I'd love some feedback!**


	4. Chapter 4: Shellfur

**A/N: Thank you for your reviews, DaisyShrub! I changed that little mistake in Chapter 1, thank you for pointing that out, and I'm glad you picked up on the names! I like it when the names relate to what the Clan is/where they live.**

 **Without further ado, here's Chapter 4!**

 **Chapter 4**

Shellfur curled her tail around her paws as she gazed around at the little cave she'd found. She scanned the ledges in the walls with an appraising eye, wondering if it could become a medicine cat's den.

Part of her longed to join the other warriors exploring the rest of the camp outside. She'd spent her entire life wishing she was one of them, a hunter or a fighter, hating Fawnstep for forcing her to learn about different herbs.

Then she'd saved her first cat: Nightfur, a SkyClan warrior, had got his paw trapped in a Twoleg contraption not long after they'd left the forest. Only Pebblefur's quick thinking had saved the paw, and Cloudstar had commended her for it. She'd felt truly proud for the first time in her life.

This cave seemed perfect. The rock floor was so smooth, only a little rippled, which suggested that a river had once flowed over it. The natural ledges would be perfect for storing herbs, and there was a little nook at the back, an alcove, which she could use as her own personal nest.

Shellfur nodded approvingly, although she knew she was alone. "It would be better if the freshwater was closer," she murmured, remembering ThunderClan's medicine den. She'd visited once, as a very young medicine cat apprentice, when ThunderClan had grudgingly allowed them to use their precious supply of catmint to cure their warriors of deadly greencough. The medicine cat had had his very own pool.

"Shellfur?" Kestrelflight stuck her head inside. The entrance was narrow, perfect as it would give sick cats privacy, peace and quiet. The warrior's eyes brightened. "Wow, it's amazing in here."

"Really? I'd rather be in the warriors' den with you," Shellfur grunted.

Kestrelflight shook her head, but Shellfur didn't miss the pitying look she gave her. "No, it's going to be so crowded in there, I can already tell. I might fake sickness so I can stay here with you."

"Stormheart would be very annoyed if you did that."

"Like I care what that mouse-brain thinks." Kestrelflight hissed at the way Shellfur's eyes glittered mischievously. "Hey! My apprentice has put ideas in your head, hasn't she? Minnowpaw is another mouse-brain."

"When you're in a bad mood, the entire Clan is mouse-brained," Shellfur purred.

"I'm not in a bad mood at all."

"Ah. You're just embarrassed," she teased.

Kestrelflight hissed playfully. "Am not! Do you want to come exploring with me and Minnowpaw? You can look for herbs while we hunt. Floodstar wants us to scout around, but he says we mustn't go too far from the cave."

"Sure." Shellfur glanced at the forlorn bundle of travelling herbs she'd carried with her. The leaves were almost too rotten to use already, and she felt worried she wouldn't be able to gather the stock of things they'd had at the old SkyClan camp.

She'd be lost without her herbs. Since she'd been a kit, Fawnstep's den had always been overflowing. She already felt like the worst medicine cat in history.

She bounded out of the den and into the main cave, which was a hive of activity as cats scrambled around, poked their heads into interesting nooks and crannies, or sharpened their claws experimentally on a few rocks. Floodstar had found the highest ledge and he crouched there, watching every cat.

"Minnowpaw!" Kestrelflight beckoned her apprentice with a sweep of her tail and Minnowpaw came running towards them.

There was a yowl, and a large splash - everyone looked around to see Rockpaw dragging himself out of the drinking pool.

"I fell off a ledge," he mewed, flattening his ears when he realised the camp had gone silent and everyone was looking at him.

"Are you hurt?" Shellfur's medicine cat instincts were humming.

"No, just wet -" He sneezed.

"These ledges may be dangerous," Floodstar meowed from his high perch. "We are used to climbing, but we should still be careful."

"This place is a death trap," Shellfur heard Icewater mutter as the trio of she-cats made their way towards the cave mouth.

"We'll get used to it." Minnowpaw was bouncing along beside her mentor. "I like the sea. Shorepaw has already come up with five different games."

And Stormheart, his mentor, wouldn't be too impressed by that, Shellfur thought.

"You're thinking like a kit," Kestrelflight murmured. "How would a warrior see the sea as an advantage?"

Minnowpaw tilted her head in thought as they emerged onto the main beach. They padded along the edge where the sand met the cliffs, and Shellfur nosed a few plants growing in the cracks.

"I see comfrey!" Shellfur let out a breath in relief and hurried towards the ledge. She started to dig for the precious root, sticking her claws into the gap where it had managed to take hold, running through its various uses in her mind.

 _Repairs broken bones, soothes wounds... Also used for wrenched claws... Can be used for itching or for inflammation on stiff joints... Eases stiffness on wrenched shoulders when lined in a nest... Can be used for burns._

"What if there were cats invading our territory?" Kestrelflight, although patient, had given up on her apprentice.

"But there are no other Clans nearby -"

"We don't know that. There could be hostile loners we haven't encountered yet. If we were attacked, we could easily drive our enemies into the sea and let the waves weaken their strength. We could also stand with our backs to the sea so we don't have to worry about anyone sneaking up behind us. Or..." She hesitated. "We could drive them off the clifftops."

Shellfur shuddered at the thought of a cat falling from such a height. She knew that walking out of the cave one day to see a broken body would be her worst fear for a while, until everyone had gotten used to the cliffs.

"Oh." Minnowpaw thought about that.

A harsh, high-pitched bird call startled all three cats. A massive bird flew low over their heads and Shellfur ducked, thinking frantically of eagles -

Minnowpaw launched herself into the air and snagged her claws in a wing. She and the grey and white bird both crashed to the ground, where they struggled together. The bird was the same size as the apprentice.

"Minnowpaw!" Kestrelflight pounced, pinning both wings down, and motioned for her apprentice to strike.

Minnowpaw bit through the neck cleanly and the bird went limp.

"Wow! What in the name of StarClan is this bird?" Shellfur gasped.

Minnowpaw was staring wide-eyed, shell-shocked, as if she didn't believe what had just happened.

"Well done," Kestrelflight purred, licking her apprentice's ears. "Whatever it is, it can feed half the Clan! Let's take it to the elders, they'll know what it is."

* * *

 **A/N: Any guesses as to what the bird is? XD**

 **I really like being able to tell this story from the point of view of lots of different cats! I won't do the entire Clan, but I definitely want to do Minnowpaw, Stormheart, and maybe a couple others...? As well as returning to the cats that have chapters so far, of course.**

 **As the story progresses, please let me know if there's any cat in particular you want to read about and I'll find a way to fit their POV in! :)**


	5. Chapter 5: Minnowpaw

**Chapter 5**

Minnowpaw could barely walk. She couldn't see her paws so kept stumbling, she tripped over the large, dragging wings, and the weight of the bird in her mouth made her neck hurt. But she lifted her chin as high as she could manage, proudly dragging her catch inside.

"Floodstar!" Kestrelflight called. "My apprentice has caught the first bit of SeaClan prey!"

"Great StarClan!" someone gasped.

"What is that?" another cat meowed.

When Minnowpaw could bear it no longer, she dropped the bird. "This spot," she mewed proudly, "will be our fresh-kill pile."

"Well done." Floodstar was purring - he was _looking at her._ Her!

Minnowpaw suddenly fought the desire to dive between Kestrelflight's legs.

"Tallbreeze, Troutclaw, come and look at this bird!" Floodstar beckoned the two elders.

"I hope you're going to find us some dry, warm dens, Floodstar," Tallbreeze grumbled as he and Troutclaw hobbled over. "My joints are exceptionally painful today."

"We found comfrey," Shellfur mewed.

The tabby tom eyed the roots Shellfur had carried. "Is that it? You're going to need more herbs than that if we're going to stay here."

"Do either of you know what bird this is?" Floodstar asked.

Troutclaw drew himself up to his full height. "I know every bird in the world," he croaked superiorly, "and I've caught them all. This..." He sniffed it. "There's saltwater dried on its feathers. This is a seagull. Coastal birds."

"Wow, Minnowpaw!"

Minnowpaw felt a flash of warmth when Streampaw, a grey tabby and her best friend, appeared beside her.

"I caught this," she meowed. "Kestrelflight says it could feed half the Clan!" The idea that she could fill nearly a dozen of her Clanmates' bellies filled her with joy.

Streampaw leaned closer, whiskers twitching. "Or one of Troutclaw," she whispered.

Minnowpaw purred with laughter.

Floodstar's eyes were glowing. "Sandstrike," he meowed, turning to the light ginger tabby, "take Frostclaw and Rockpaw with you outside and see if you can catch a couple more."

"They have very loud cries," Kestrelflight meowed wryly.

"I think I can hear them already." Sandstrike's ears were pricked.

The Clan spent the rest of the evening eating the seagulls, sharing tongues and finding the comfiest spots in the camp to rest. Anywhere the sunlight reached was desirable.

"We should be out collecting moss for our nests," Minnowpaw heard Mossfire meow as she sat grooming Streampaw. "What will we sleep on tonight?"

"We must rest first, Mossfire," Floodstar replied gently from his spot on the fin-like rock. "I don't want to tire everyone out on the first day."

When night fell and Minnowpaw could see a sliver of Silverpelt glimmering through the crack in the roof, Floodstar stood. He stretched luxuriously and shook each paw in turn before throwing his head back.

He yowled, "Let all SeaClan cats gather here, beneath the Highrock, for a Clan meeting!"

A buzz of excitement passed through each cat. Minnowpaw's fur stood on end with it. The words made SeaClan real. In no time at all, everyone had gathered around Floodstar, who gazed down at them proudly.

"The warrior code states that a deputy must be announced before the first moonhigh after the old one has died or become leader," he meowed. "Well, it is almost the first moonhigh we will spend at our new camp, so I say these words before the spirits of our warrior ancestors. I hope they are looking down on us now, and that they approve of my choice."

Minnowpaw gasped. She hoped the next deputy would be Kestrelflight! But she knew her mentor was still too young.

"Stormheart will be the first SeaClan deputy," Floodstar announced, and there were a few murmurs of approval. "We honour your strength and your natural leadership, and I know you will serve us well."

"Thank you, Floodstar." Stormheart dipped his head.

"Stormheart! Stormheart!" the Clan yowled. "Stormheart!"

Minnowpaw dipped her head to whisper in Streampaw's ear. "Shorepaw will never let me hear the end of this."

"What?" Streampaw's green eyes were shining as she gazed at the handsome deputy.

"Oh, I forgot, you get moony over Stormheart." Minnowpaw rolled her eyes.

Streampaw nudged her. "I do not!"

"Yes, you do."

"He's... nice."

 _He's strict,_ Minnowpaw thought.

"I can't believe Kestrelflight isn't super proud she was once his apprentice," Streampaw meowed. Kestrelflight was cheering Stormheart's name like everyone else, but she didn't get up to congratulate him or brush pelts like a few others were doing. "I'd give anything to swap places with Shorepaw."

"Hey!" Herontail, sat behind, nudged Streampaw with a paw. "Isn't your current mentor good enough?"

The apprentices gasped and whipped around.

"Sorry, Herontail!" Streampaw's eyes were huge.

Herontail gave a good-natured purr, dipping his head to lick his striking black and white fur. His emerald eyes glowed with mischief as he mewed, "You'd better start appreciating your mentor more, or Stormheart might mysteriously find out that you think he's... ' _nice_ '."

"You wouldn't!" Streampaw shrieked.

Herontail twitched his whiskers and strolled off, leaving his apprentice gaping after him.

Minnowpaw privately thought that Herontail's pelt just as pretty, if not prettier than Stormheart's, but she couldn't imagine mooning over any cat the way Streampaw did around the new deputy.

* * *

 **A/N: Awww, Streampaw likes Stormheart! Young love. XD Will it last? Who knows!**

 **I suppose everyone guessed who the deputy would be (because I basically told you all in Chapter 2 and also the Allegiances is on my profile)**

 **Does anyone have a favourite character so far?**


End file.
